Even though Qin Shuyao had prepared herself mentally, when she heard Little Jiao call Chen Qilan “Dad,” her body still swayed uncontrollably. Chen Qilan grew anxious and grumbled, “Lao Ba, can you stop causing trouble? This is just… making my wife misunderstand things even more!”
“Don’t rush, don’t rush, the truth always comes out!” Liu Wencheng remained calm, pointing at Hu Jiangnan and asking Little Jiao, “And what do you call him?”
Little Jiao stroked Hu Jiangnan’s stubbled face, giggling. “Dad!”
Zhao Baoqiao, the company commander of the Ninth Company, standing behind Hu Jiangnan, pointed to himself. “What about me? Who am I to Little Jiao?”
Little Jiao obediently called out, “Dad!”
There were nine men in the room, and without exception, Little Jiao called every single one of them “Dad,” and it was clear she wasn’t being forced. Qin Shuyao was dumbfounded.
“Lao Ba, take the two children back inside to eat some snacks first…” Before Chen Qilan could finish, the little boy suddenly spoke up.
“You don’t need to send me away to talk. My dad died fighting, and my mom died when she gave birth to my second brother. I know everything!”
The boy looked at Qin Shuyao, his face defensive and wounded. “You just think Little Jiao and I are burdens, so you came here and made a big scene, telling Seventh Dad he can’t look after me and my sister anymore!”
Hearing this, Chen Qilan’s expression immediately turned serious. “Huzi, who taught you to say these things?”
The little boy, Huzi, glared at Qin Shuyao with intense hostility. “No one needs to teach me, I understand it myself.” Like a small, fully-spined hedgehog, he suddenly shoved Qin Shuyao hard.
“Who told you to marry Seventh Dad? Who told you to steal the love that belongs only to me and my sister? I hate you! You bad woman!”
With that, Huzi grabbed his sister and ran out. Seeing this, Liu Wencheng quickly went after them.
Qin Shuyao was nearly knocked to the ground by Huzi, but Chen Qilan quickly caught her. “T-this… these are the children those women were talking about?” She stammered as she recovered, “They, they said these were your and Geng Sa’s children!”
“Do you think that’s possible?” Chen Qilan laughed out of exasperation, lightly flicking Qin Shuyao’s forehead a few times. “Huzi is eight years old this year. How old was I eight years ago? I was only sixteen, just enrolled in military school, still wet behind the ears!”
Hu Jiangnan, standing nearby, also vouched for Chen Qilan. “Huzi’s father was the deputy political instructor of the Seventh Company. He sacrificed his life three years ago in a battle to seize a highland position. During that fight, Lao Qi also almost became a martyr himself.”
“At that time, Huzi’s mother was near term. The news of her husband’s death caused emotional distress, leading to complications during childbirth. Neither the mother nor the second child survived.” Hu Jiangnan’s voice caught, and he couldn’t continue. “Huzi and his sister became orphans. It was only natural that those of us who survived became their family. Every officer and soldier in the Third Reconnaissance Battalion is their father!”
Chen Qilan stated solemnly, “This is the pact of our Third Reconnaissance Battalion: if we are unfortunate enough to die in service, those who live must care for the descendants of our fallen comrades.”
In that moment, Qin Shuyao felt a lump in her throat, tears threatening to fall. The memory of Chen Qilan’s fate in her previous life flashed through her mind again: in just one year, he too would sacrifice his life.
Hu Jiangnan and the others, having completed their mission, didn’t want to disturb the young couple further. Since it was already dark, they took their respective small stools and left. The previously noisy living room returned to silence. The empty room didn’t even have a chair.
Chen Qilan looked slightly embarrassed, scratching his head. “This house was only just allocated to me. I haven’t had time to buy any furnishings. Later, we can buy whatever you like.”
“Why did they all say these were your and Geng Sa’s children? Even if it’s a rumor, it can’t have come from nowhere, right?” Qin Shuyao couldn’t help but bring up Geng Sa.
“The fighting in the Southern Border is intense, and we might be dispatched to the front lines at any moment. Geng Sa is a model supporter of the military, so we entrusted these two children to her care,” Chen Qilan explained truthfully.
“As for my relationship with Geng Sa, for a while, there were indeed rumors circulating in town that we were dating.”
“The rumor was spread by Geng Sa’s mother herself.” Hearing this, Qin Shuyao was shocked. “Why? What kind of mother would spread rumors to slander her own daughter’s reputation?”
Chen Qilan led Qin Shuyao into the bedroom, and they sat down together on the edge of the bed to rest. “Hu Jiangnan mentioned earlier that I was injured in battle. Hospital beds were scarce, so some light casualties were arranged to recuperate in the homes of townspeople. I recovered from my injuries at Geng Sa’s house!”
“Geng Sa having feelings for me is one thing, but when Political Commissar Hong came to visit me, he inadvertently mentioned my uncle, and Geng Sa’s mother overheard it…” At this point, Chen Qilan looked at Qin Shuyao. “So you understand now, right? She intended to use moral blackmail against me. Hmph, but I am a man who won’t be swayed by threats or pleas.”
“Even if Geng Sa and I weren’t innocent, and even if I had fallen for her trick, I still wouldn’t let her manipulate me!” Qin Shuyao almost blurted out, “But didn’t the Zhang family successfully manipulate you with their clumsy scheme in the previous life?” She swallowed the words. If she actually said it, Chen Qilan would surely think she was insane—after all, who would believe in something as bizarre as Rebirth?
But Chen Qilan didn’t sound like he was bragging now. If he truly was an unyielding, stubborn person as he claimed, was there some unknown difficulty or hidden reason why he was forced to marry Zhang Lingzhi by the Zhang family in her past life? Did the Zhang family perhaps hold some fatal weakness against him?
Chen Qilan held Qin Shuyao’s hand. “But Yaoyao, I’m actually very happy that you were angry and upset about these rumors today.”
Qin Shuyao looked at Chen Qilan as if he were an idiot. Had this man had his head caught in a door?
“Your anger means you care about me, and love makes one irrational!” Chen Qilan gave a silly, happy chuckle. “Look at my uncle: he’s majestic and imposing outside, but when he comes home, he still gets scolded by my aunt until he doesn’t dare make a sound. Yet, every time they argue, their relationship seems to get even better.”
Chen Qilan gazed steadily at Qin Shuyao. “Grandmother says that’s how a proper married couple lives their life—squabbling at the head of the bed, reconciling at the foot. If they are both like that couple in the capital who treat each other with stiff politeness, then the marriage isn’t worth having!”
The “couple in the capital who treat each other with stiff politeness” he spoke of naturally referred to his biological father and his stepmother. When mentioning those two, a hint of mockery twisted his lips.
Qin Shuyao felt uncomfortable under Chen Qilan’s gaze. After a long pause, she finally asked, “Since it’s a rumor, why didn’t you clarify it?”
“If I had clarified it, Geng Sa would truly have nowhere to stand. She had already suffered a blow to her dignity by failing to win me over; if outsiders also learned that her mother was the one spreading the rumors, then tell me…”
Chen Qilan continued, “I am a man, and I live in the military barracks year-round. Those gossip snippets can’t hurt me at all. Besides, Geng Sa and her mother weren’t truly malicious, it’s just…”
After a moment of thought, his brows furrowed tightly. “It’s just that Huzi’s words today were infuriating. Even if someone didn’t deliberately teach him to say that, they must have said it in front of him, which caused him to develop hostility toward you.”
And he almost pushed her over.
Even without Chen Qilan naming names, Qin Shuyao could guess who it was. It was either Geng Sa or Geng Sa’s mother; who else could it be? Qin Shuyao felt the name “Geng Sa” sounded vaguely familiar.
Zhang Lingzhi must have mentioned her when she returned to her maiden home in the previous life. Any person or event Zhang Lingzhi specifically mentioned would have been significant, but after days of travel and stress, Qin Shuyao’s mind was too exhausted to recall details.
With the misunderstanding between them resolved, the atmosphere in the house lightened. Chen Qilan went to the mess hall, brought back food, and Qin Shuyao ate a little.
After washing up, she immediately fell back asleep. Half-dreaming and half-awake, something suddenly flashed through her mind. The impact was so overwhelming that Qin Shuyao sat up with a look of terror.